Emily Dickinson Lexicon

ES-CRI-TOIR', n. [Sp. escritorio; It. scrittorio; Fr. ecritoire, from ecrire, ecrit, to write, from the root of L. scribo, Eng. to scrape.]

A box with instruments and convenience, for writing; sometimes, a desk or chest of drawers with an apartment for the instruments of writing. It is often pronounced scrutoir.